I started this fundraising page a few years ago, and with the incredible support of friends, family, and work colleagues, we’ve been making steady progress toward our target. Thanks to your generosity, we’ve already started adapting our home to better suit George’s needs, but we still have more to achieve.

George is a happy, lovable boy who melts the hearts of everyone he meets with his infectious giggle. The firstborn of twin boys, it became clear early on that George wasn’t developing at the same pace as his twin brother. At just six months old, he was diagnosed with an incredibly rare genetic disorder—he’s the only person in the world with his particular chromosome duplication (extra bits of chromosomes 2 and 9), making him truly one of a kind.

George has intellectual disability, meaning his development is similar to that of a two-year-old. At the age of three, he learned to sit up, and by six, he was able to stand. Remarkably, just after his 8th birthday, George took his first steps. Now, at nearly 13 years old, his confidence grows daily, though he’s still unsteady on his feet, and trip hazards remain a significant challenge.

In addition to his physical challenges, George is autistic, has sensory processing disorder, experiences seizures due to epilepsy, is partially sighted, and has a gastrostomy tube to help with eating and drinking. He’s been diagnosed with ARFID, an eating disorder, and has significant dental problems that mean he is currently waiting for surgery.

Because George’s needs are so complex we’re struggling to access the specialist support he desperately needs. He’s in constant pain while waiting for surgery and he’s expressing this in the only way he knows how, meaning we’re seeing some challenging behaviours at home and we’re realising it needs to be adapted to make it safe for him.

George really struggles with eating due to sensory and behavioural issues and now, because he’s feeling pain in his mouth, all the hard work that’s been put in to encouraging him to eat is being lost. He will need psychological and sensory support following his surgery to help him eat again, and to encourage him to brush his teeth so he doesn’t need more surgery in the future.

Unfortunately this isn’t available through local services, so we’re looking at funding this ourselves.

George spends much of his time lying on the floor playing with his toys and also uses a supportive chair. As he grows older and heavier, carrying him around is becoming increasingly difficult for us, especially when lifting him in and out of the bath or his chair. As George grows older and heavier, carrying him around is becoming increasingly difficult for us, especially when lifting him in and out of the bath. That’s why we’re planning to create an adapted wet room with a walk-in bath, which would make bath time—one of his favorite activities—both safer and easier.

Other key adaptations include making the front of the house level access, eliminating the need to lift his heavy wheelchair over the doorstep, and ensuring all the downstairs rooms are level, allowing George to move around more safely and independently. If we can raise enough funds, we’d also love to create a specially adapted sensory den for George, a space where he can explore, play, and relax.

Converting our home to make it safer and more accessible would be life-changing for our family. These adaptations would not only support George’s needs as he grows but also give him greater independence and make everyday life so much easier for all of us.

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated or supported our fundraising efforts so far— you’ve helped us get this far, and we’re so grateful. Thank you for taking the time to read George’s story, and for helping us give him the safe and supportive home he deserves.

7.5% of all donations to Tree of Hope in relation to this appeal will be allocated to the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope to cover our core operating costs.

If we raise insufficient funds, or surplus funds, then the funds will be used, if appropriate, to fund support for our child’s needs in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objects. If in those circumstances we are unable to use all or part of the funds for the benefit of our child in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objectives, then any funds that cannot be used will be transferred to be used for the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope.